I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-young, Translated by Sophie Bowman Published by Tor Nightfire on August 11 2026
Genres: Adult, Horror
Pages: 112
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: A Lovecraftian-inspired story set in Korea, A Plagued Sea is an unsettling, claustrophobic nightmare.
“There are, in fact, fish in the sea that have developed limbs like arms or legs to crawl along the seabed. With the volcanic eruption, rarely seen sea creatures from the deep ocean were swept onto the shore. People could imagine all kinds of things when they saw them, once the disaster had loosened their grip on reality.”
A Plagued Sea is a creepy, dread-filled story full of atmosphere, and I thought it was an excellent homage to H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth. The Korean setting was a nice twist, and in the author’s notes she mentions that she wrote the story during the Covid lockdowns, which makes sense considering it’s about a small village that becomes isolated when a strange sickness breaks out. I really enjoyed this short but impactful story.
Muyoung and her niece Hyun are travelling to the seaside village of Haewon when a powerful earthquake hits. The story then jumps forward three years and the reader learns what happened after the earthquake disrupted the seabed of Haewon. Many villagers began to develop strange ailments, like bulging eyes, flaky skin, elongated limbs and even grossly deformed jaws with sharp teeth. The government declared a state of emergency and locked down the village. No one has been allowed to leave or enter, and even three years later, scientists still haven’t been able to figure out how the disease—dubbed East Sea Disease—is transmitted.
Hyun caught the disease and died, and Muyoung is now working as an unofficial “enforcer,” going after citizens who break quarantine. And one day, an infectious disease research scientist comes to the village to dig into the mysteries of East Sea Disease, but his presence reveals secrets that the diseased have been trying to hide.
The plot of A Plagued Sea is fairly thin—the story is mostly vibes and atmosphere, to be honest. But that didn’t keep me from enjoying it. Bo-young is a master at creating a dark, damp setting where something from the sea has burst forth during the earthquake and is turning people into literal monsters. I loved the descriptions of what’s left of Haewon Village—crumbling houses clinging to the mountainside, rotten fish smells everywhere, and on the shore, stacks of decomposing fish litter the surf. Please take a look at this cover, too, because it’s one of the best covers I’ve seen lately where the cover designer and artist have matched the story vibe perfectly.
There’s quite a bit of tension as details about the infected are slowly revealed, as well as the deeper meaning behind all the horrifying physical changes the infected are suffering through. I loved the emotions the characters feel as well. Loved ones are dead or changing into something otherworldly, people are cut off from family in other towns and cities, and there’s a feeling of depression and hopelessness hanging over the town. Muyoung’s story in particular is so sad, as Hyun’s body was never found, so she doesn’t even have anything concrete to mourn.
A somewhat open ended final chapter allows readers to come to their own conclusions about Muyoung’s fate. Definitely grab a copy if you enjoy creepy, atmospheric cosmic horror.
Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.
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